HURRICANE IRENE CUT A DESTRUCTIVE PATH THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN ON MONDAY, RAKING PUERTO RICO WITH STRONG WINDS AND RAIN AND THEN SPINNING JUST NORTH OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON A TRACK THAT COULD CARRY IT TO THE U.S. SOUTHEAST AS A MAJOR STORM BY THE END OF THE WEEK. THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IN MIAMI SAID THE NOW CATEGORY 2 STORM WAS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE STRENGTHENING AND COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE BY THE TIME IT TRACKS OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS.

I DON’T KNOW IF YOU ARE KEEPING TRACK OR NOT. BUT, YESTERDAY’S HIGH OF 102 MADE IT THE 10TH DAY IN A ROW WHERE THE TEMP EXCEEDED 100 DEGREES. TODAY SHOULD MAKE IT 11 DAY. FORECASTERS SAY WE MAY GET SOME RELIEF LATTER IN THE WEEK.

THE ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS THE FINAL ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE ALLOWING EXPANDED DEVELOPMENT, BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL, AT THE SITE OF THE OLD HODGES STOCKYARD WHEN IT MEETS TODAY. A 56-UNIT, GATED APARTMENT COMPLEX, THE GATES AT RIVER CHASE, HAS BEEN BUILT ON THE BACK SIX ACRES OF THE PROPERTY. THE PLAN IS TO BUILD AN ADDITIONAL 64 APARTMENTS. THE SECOND PHASE WILL BE SIMILAR TO THE FIRST ONE, WITH EACH APARTMENT FEATURING A REFRIGERATOR, MICROWAVE, WASHER AND DRYER, AS WELL AS ON-SITE SECURITY, MANAGEMENT, AND BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY CENTERS. THE TOPIC IS UP FOR DISCUSSION BEFORE THE COUNCIL'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, WHICH MEETS AT 3:30 P.M., AND AGAIN BEFORE THE FULL COUNCIL AT 5 P.M.

FEDERAL EDUCATION OFFICIALS ARE INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE CATAHOULA PARISH SCHOOL BOARD MADE BY A JONESVILLE-AREA COUPLE THAT INCLUDE SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ALLOWING THEIR 7-YEAR-OLD DOWN SYNDROME SON TO GET OFF A SCHOOL BUS COMPLETELY NAKED. THE COUPLE BELIEVE SCHOOL OFFICIALS RETALIATED AGAINST THE 8 YEAR OLD BOY AFTER THEY ASKED THE SCHOOL BOARD TO ALLOW THE BOY TO RIDE THE REGULAR SCHOOL BUS, RATHER THAN A SPECIAL ED BUS. THE BOY WAS BEING BULLIED BY OTHER CHILDREN ON THE BUS. SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAID NO. THEY HOWEVER CHANGED THEIR MINDS WHEN AN ATTORNEY WAS BROUGHT INTO THE PICTURE.

TWO STATE EMPLOYEES WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES WERE SUSPENDED MONDAY AFTER DOCUMENTS WITH PERSONAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS, WERE FOUND BLOWING DOWN A BATON ROUGE STREET, IMPROPERLY DISCARDED IN A TRASH CAN INSTEAD OF SHREDDED. DEPARTMENT SECRETARY RUTH JOHNSON SAID THE SECURITY BREACH APPEARED TO BE LIMITED TO THE SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICE IN NORTH BATON ROUGE THAT HANDLES FOOD STAMP, WELFARE AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE CASES. THE EMPLOYEES, THE OFFICE MANAGER AND AN AREA DIRECTOR, WERE SUSPENDED WITH PAY PENDING AN INVESTIGATION.

LSU STARTING QUARTERBACK JORDAN JEFFERSON AND THREE OF HIS TEAMMATES HAVE DECIDED TO MEET WITH POLICE AT AN UNDISCLOSED TIME AND LOCATION TODAY.
POLICE SGT. DON STONE ANNOUNCED MONDAY NIGHT THAT THE MEETING WOULD TAKE PLACE AND SAID AUTHORITIES ARE KEEPING THE DETAILS SECRET TO ENSURE "THE INTEGRITY OF THE INVESTIGATION IS NOT HAMPERED OR DISTURBED." POLICE HAVE ASKED JEFFERSON, ALONG WITH OFFENSIVE LINEMAN CHRIS DAVENPORT, DEFENSIVE LINEMAN JOSH JOHNS AND RECEIVER JARVIS LANDRY, TO OFFER THEIR RECOLLECTION OF LAST THURSDAY NIGHT'S FIGHT. FOUR PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN THE SCUFFLE, NONE OF THEM PLAYERS, AND ONE PERSON'S INJURIES WERE SERIOUS ENOUGH THAT TWO PLAYERS COULD FACE FELONY BATTERY CHARGES

WE ARE TWO MONTHS AWAY FROM THE OCTOBER 22ND PRIMARY AND DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR ROB MARIONNEAUX IS STILL CONSIDERING A CAMPAIGN AGAINST REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR BOBBY JINDAL. MARIONNEAUX SAYS HE PLANS ON MEETING WITH POTENTIAL CAMPAIGN DONORS THIS WEEK. MARIONNEAUX SAYS HE JUST CONDUCTED A POLL THAT SHOWS JINDAL IS VULNERABLE. QUALIFYING FOR THE OCTOBER 22ND PRIMARY WILL TAKE PLACE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER SIXTH AND SEPTEMBER EIGHTH.

THE STATE ETHICS BOARD FINED LT. GOV. JAY DARDENNE'S CAMPAIGN $2,500 FOR COLLECTING MONEY OVER THE LEGAL CONTRIBUTION LIMIT. THE BOARD ANNOUNCED THE DECISION AT ITS MEETING LAST WEEK. IT INVOLVED DONATIONS IN A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR LAST YEAR. CANDIDATES FOR A MAJOR STATEWIDE POST CAN ACCEPT CONTRIBUTIONS UP TO $5,000 PER PERSON PER ELECTION. DARDENNE'S CAMPAIGN REIMBURSED $7,027 TO SEVEN CONTRIBUTORS WHOSE DONATIONS EXCEEDED THAT LIMIT.

A WEBSTER PARISH COUPLE HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY ABUSING THEIR 19-DAY-OLD BABY. AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THE BOY'S FATHER HURT HIM AND THE MOTHER, WHO AUTHORITIES SAY, DIDN'T TURN HIM IN. THE BABY SUFFERED RIB, KNEE, AND ANKLE FRACTURES. THE CHILD HAS BEEN PLACED INTO FOSTER CARE.

WATER LEVELS ARE DROPPING RAPIDLY IN THE UNDERGROUND SUPPLY THAT SERVES PART OF SOUTHEAST CADDO PARISH, PROMPTING THE STATE NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO BAN NON-GARDEN WATERING AND MOST INDUSTRIAL USES. WATER LEVELS IN SOME AREA LAKES ARE FALLING BY AS MUCH AS A HALF-INCH A DAY. AUTHORITIES REPORT THAT CADDO LAKE COULD SET A NEW RECORD LOW IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. OFFICIALS WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAY ONLY A HURRICANE OR AN EXTREMELY RAINY WINTER COULD RESTORE THEM.

AUTHORITIES SAY A 16-YEAR-OLD FROM RAYNE DIED AFTER APPARENTLY LOSING CONTROL OF HIS DIRT BIKE. ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES RECOVERED THE BODY OF JASON BLAKE PETITJEAN IN A BEAN FIELD SUNDAY MORNING ABOUT THREE MILES FROM THE TEEN'S HOME. HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.

ST. TAMMANY PARISH OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE COMPLETED CLEAN-UP OPERATIONS AFTER A MASSIVE FISH KILL ON THE PEARL RIVER. THE FISH KILL WAS THE RESULT OF A CHEMICAL DISCHARGE FROM A PAPER MILL IN BOGALUSA. PARISH SPOKESPERSON SUZANNE PARSONS STYMIEST SAYS CREWS HAVE RECOVERED ALL THE DEAD FISH THAT THEY COULD REACH AND MOST OF THE RIVER IS RETURNING TO NORMAL. SHE SAYS THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY HAS CONDUCTED TESTS THAT SHOW THE WATER QUALITY IS ALSO GETTING BACK TO NORMAL. SHE WARNS, HOWEVER, THAT UNTIL MORE TESTS ARE DONE THE RIVER IS NOT COMPLETELY SAFE. YESTERDAY, STATE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORS PUT THAT BOGALUSA PAPER PLANT ON NOTICE THAT IT IS LIABLE FOR A MASSIVE FISH KILL IN THE PEARL RIVER, SETTING IN MOTION THE LEGAL PROCESS FOR POTENTIALLY ISSUING PENALTIES AND FINES.

#1 RULE, IF YOU’RE GOING TO CALL THE POLICE TO YOUR HOME, HIDE THE POT PLANTS. DEPUTIES ANSWERING A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALL FOUND ALMOST $60,000 WORTH OF MARIJUANA INSIDE A RACELAND HOME. THE LAFOURCHE PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS DEPUTIES WERE QUESTIONING THE HUSBAND AND WIFE WHEN A DEPUTY NOTICED THE PLANTS. BOTH HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH CULTIVATION AND POSSESSION WITH THE INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE, POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA AND DOMESTIC BATTERY ABUSE.